Logistics firms that overwork delivery personnel on the Singles’ Day shopping festival tomorrow would face fines of up to NT$1 million (US$36,007) for contravening the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), the Ministry of Labor said yesterday.
Many e-commerce operators since the end of last month have been offering discounts on a slew of products, while some plan to extend the discount period to the end of this month for the festival, the ministry said.
With an expected surge in demand for delivery services, cargo transport and logistic service providers must ensure that delivery workers’ schedules are arranged in compliance with labor regulations, the ministry said.
Photo: Yang Ya-min, Taipei Times
The eight-week flexible work hour mechanism applies to cargo transport and logistics service providers, which allows employers to arrange 320 work hours for staff, as long as they have the consent of the workers or unions, it said.
However, work hours must not exceed eight hours per day, the ministry said, adding that staff must not work more than 12 hours a day.
Those on an eight-week flexible work schedule should get at least 16 days off in that time and must not work for more than six days in a row, the ministry added.
Moreover, they should have at least one day off every seven workdays, it said.
To prevent fatigue among drivers, which affects safety on the roads, the ministry has teamed up with the Directorate-General of Highways to conduct random roadside inspections on highways, with cargo drivers listed as key targets for inspections, it said.
Drivers are encouraged to call the ministry’s 1955 hotline or file complaints at local labor departments if they think their employers have contravened labor regulations, the ministry said.
Firms face fines of NT$20,000 to NT$1 million if a breach is verified, it said.
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